Recently, at the Asian Pet Expo, a Xoloitzcuintle with its back covered in tattoos caused a wave of outrage among netizens. Veterinarians strongly condemned the practice, stating that tattooing pets merely to satisfy owners' desire to show off or to fulfill unique fetishes offers no benefits to the animal's health and may even constitute abuse.
At last month's Asia Pet Expo held in Shanghai, many witnesses saw this "tattooed dog" with large-scale designs of a blue dragon and white tiger stretching from its back down to its limbs. Although the tattoo artist who personally performed the work responded by posting that the dog was fully anesthetized during the process and experienced no pain, this did little to quell the public's anger.
Veterinarians have weighed in on the issue, pointing out that in recent years, some foreign pet owners have indeed transferred their enthusiasm for tattoos onto their pets. However, human skin is approximately three to three and a half times thicker than that of dogs. Because canine skin is relatively thin and fragile, tattoo machines must be specially adjusted with shallower needle penetration — and even then, full anesthesia is required to avoid pain.
"Personally, I still do not advocate doing this," a veterinarian said. "Some say dogs have a dull sense of pain, but this is a complete misconception. If you pinch a dog, does it hurt? Of course, it does." The vet emphasized that animals do feel pain; they just may react a little slower. "Even with anesthesia, after waking up, the dog will feel pain for days. Furthermore, if the tattooing isn't completed in one session but requires three or four or more, the dog must undergo anesthesia and pain multiple times. This can also lead to skin inflammation, long-term allergies, and even chronic poisoning from chemical components in the ink."
The veterinarian explained that some countries do tattoo identification numbers inside the ears of neutered stray cats and dogs to avoid repeated capture and anesthesia. This small area tattooing is acceptable. However, "tattooing large areas on a dog for personalization or aesthetics is completely unacceptable." They stressed that such tattooing behavior may amount to animal abuse. If anyone has friends considering tattooing their pets, they should be stopped immediately — this is not an expression of love, but rather a form of harm.
